It’s Easy Being Green-EEVC Collaboration Proposal Final Proposal What Our goal is to partner with teachers, parents, and students to make Lloyd Harbor School a “greener” school. As part of this partnership, we will work closely with the newly-formed Green Committee (a parent group) to implement various programs as part of our green school initiative.The first step in this initiative is to begin recycling plastic bottles and scrap paper school-wide.Future goals include involving students in environmental logo-design and energy conservation contests, activities to fund future initiatives, and partnering with local businesses. We also plan to develop a website with information and resources for students, parents, and community members to make their homes “greener.”Links from the home page will include information about items that can be recycled and where they can be recycled; ways to reduce and reuse items; suggestions for energy conservation, as well as facts, games and activities to enhance student learning. We are committed to a sustainable future and to improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the community. Through our actions, we hope to inspire others to adopt practices that reduce energy usage and waste in order to create a cleaner, safer place to learn and work. We encourage everyone to take an active role in making the world a better place today—so we can all share a better world tomorrow. Why “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”Gandhi One of the underlying premises of the constructivist theory is that learning be grounded in relevance.Kids benefit tremendously when they see the connections between the work they do in school and their lives outside of school.For example, when kids recycle, they become part of a process larger than themselves.Recycling has a positive impact on the environment, adds jobs to the US economy, and turns used products into new ones.In our proposal, kids will be actively engaged in the development, implementation and assessment of almost every aspect of our green school initiative. Why work for a greener school?
It contributes to a better world for all of us.
Currently, our school is sending a bad message to our children. Schools set some of the worst examples when it comes to “going green.” Schools represent a significant source of paper that can be recovered for recycling.According to the US EPA, waste from schools, institutions, and businesses makes up about 35–45% of all municipal solid waste. On average, up to 80% of a school’s waste stream can be recovered; up to half of that is paper.
It’s the law. Recycling has been required by New York State since 1988. However, only four municipalities across Long Island provide their school districts with recycling bins.
Resources Websites: Go Green Initiative The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come. http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/ Town of Huntington Website This website contains information about the Town of Huntington. It provides a list of contacts and phone numbers for town departments. It also links to a trash pickup schedule and recycling information. http://town.huntington.ny.us/index.cfm Lloyd Harbor Recycling Center Includes pickup schedule and contact numbers http://www.lloydharbor.org/images/Rout%202%20scheduie%2008.pdf Greening Schools Greening Schools is a joint project between the Illinois EPA and the Waste Management Research Center. http://www.greeningschools.org/resources/view_cat_teacher.cfm?id=155 Our Earth Our Earth is a non-profit environmental organization based in Baltimore, MD. The purpose of the OurEarth.org website is to raise awareness, educate the public, and ultimately make it easier for everyone to be environmentally responsible. The website enables individuals, organizations, and communities from across the country to share environmental information and ideas which we hope will both aid their efforts and provide the public with a useful resource. http://www.ourearth.org/recycling.htm Websites for Students (games and activities): National Grid Floe, a virtual polar bear on National Grid’s Web site, can help National Grid customers analyze and measure the environmental effects of their routine daily activities, including eating, drinking, driving and making home heating energy choices. Visitors can interact with Floe or befriend another virtual polar bear and learn how positive environmental acts will help protect the environment. http://www.nationalgridfloe.com/ Planet Protectors Club for Kids As a Planet Protector, your mission is to improve the world around you by making less trash. Planet Protectors also help other people learn to reduce, reuse, and recycle. To carry out this mission, check out the fun activities and games. The more you learn about reducing wastes and saving resources, the better you become at carrying out the Planet Protector goals. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/education/kids/planetprotectors/index.htm Keep Oceans Clean Students can select from among five games to learn about the importance of keeping our oceans clean and safe for the plants and animals which live there. http://keepoceansclean.org/intro/ Books: Recycle! : a handbook for kids
Gibbons, Gail Recycling Donald, Rhonda Lucas Waste disposal Morgan, Sally Earth Day-- hooray! Murphy, Stuart J Michael Recycle Ellie Bethel Our School is Going Green Author??
Videos: Recycling Grass Clippings http://youtube.com/watch?v=yAE61tnpCUE Littering is Wrong http://youtube.com/watch?v=qrEPACrLmA&feature=related Recycling Grocery bags http://youtube.com/watch?v=JiiZgM_rRaM Recycling:Reduce, Reuse, Recycle http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/recycling/ Waste Management: Where Does Your Garbage Go http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/wastemanagement/ Magazines: Kiwi – Growing Families the Natural and Organic Way May Media Group EEV Key Elements A meaningful collaboration… ·represents the Daniel Pink elements of design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning Symphony is being able to put pieces of information together in new ways to develop creative solutions to problems; being able to see “the big picture” and how separate pieces can come together to create a whole that is more than the sum of its parts.Kids will have the opportunity to participate in developing solutions to complex problems and see the impact that their collective actions can have. Meaning is having a sense of how what you do is related to others, how being part of something larger than yourself is one route to finding a greater purpose in life.As they work with teachers, parents, and other community members, kids will come to appreciate the connections between themselves, others, and the natural world. ·includes children as desired, vital, and contributing partners with others in a learning community.Kids,parents, and teachers will be equal partners in pursuing common goals.Each constituent group will bring its particular talents and energy to bear on various aspects of the collaboration. ·naturally links people of all ages and backgrounds with cultural and community resources on Long Island. Our collaboration will open up avenues of communication between kids in school and adults outside of school as kids research and begin to implement the elements of a green school and as they extend their ideas into their homes and the community at large. ·blurs work and play or obligation/responsibility and desire/choice. Kids are already aware of environmental efforts outside of school.Our collaboration offers kids the opportunity to extend their work beyond the classroom.As such, the environmental work they do in school will naturally merge with and give greater meaning to the environmental work they do outside of school.Kids will see their efforts at home, in school and in the community as natural extensions of each other, not as artificial constructs. ·Builds caring, meaning, and self-worth.Kids are empowered when they see that their individual and collective actions can have an impact on the world they live in. ·has components that would change or be dramatically enhanced with powerful tools of electronic communications and multimedia expressioning being used well.Technology will enable kids to share their ideas with others and educate their peers and the community. ·crosses academic disciplines often blurring the very sense of a particular discipline and building a wholistic, natural learning experience.Kids’ experiences with the green school project will be embedded in many different curriculum areas - social studies, math, language arts, technology. This integration will result in kids seeing the connections between the various disciplines, rather than viewing them as separate, unrelated entities. ·is energizing and intrinsically motivating for children and adults. Few things are more motivating and empowering for kids than to realize they have a genuine opportunity to make a tangible, positive change in something they feel passionate about. ·represents the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS‐T) in action 1.Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and CreativityEngage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources; model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others. 2.Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and AssessmentsDesign or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources. 3.Model Digital-Age Work and LearningCollaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources. 4.Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and ResponsibilityPromote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. 5.Engage in Professional Growth and LeadershipParticipate in local and global learning communities. ·represents the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS‐S) in action 1.Creativity and InnovationStudents demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. 2.Communication and CollaborationStudents use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively. 3.Research and Information FluencyStudents apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. 4.Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision MakingStudents use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. 5.Digital CitizenshipStudents understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. 6.Technology Operations and ConceptsStudents demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.(www.iste.org) How
Create a “green committee” consisting of teachers and parents
Create a “green team” consisting of students
Educate students and community on the importance of a green community
-school-wide assemblies -small-group presentations to individual classes
Create a website consisting of resources and activities for teachers, students, and community members
Establish connections with community members/groups active in environmental concerns
Provide opportunities for town/state environmental competitions
Who TEAM Members: ·Laura Classi ·Margaret Diehl ·Barbara Field ·Carolyn Matthews School Faculty and Staff ·Administrators ·Custodians ·Teachers Students: ·2nd, 4th, and 6th graders from our classrooms in Lloyd Harbor School (current goal: 2008-2009 school year) ·“Green Team” student volunteers from Lloyd Harbor School (future goal: ongoing, beginning in 2009) Parents: ·“Green Committee” volunteers from Lloyd Harbor School Outside Assistance: ·Town of Huntington Recycling Center ·Local environmental groups (still researching) ·Local businesses which are “going green” ·Utility companies – LIPA and National Grid Technologies ·Create an informational website using Dreamweaver ·Create a wiki or blog for online tips and discussion ·Create surveys for beginning and end of year using surveymonkey.com ·Students create informational presentations geared toward different grade levels (ie. Photostory, PowerPoint, Hyperstudio…) ·Create webquests for different age levels using QuestGarden ·Students will use a variety of technologies to reflect their experiences When On-going Sept. through June
Meeting with administrators and parents
Develop website for teachers, parents, students
Contact outside groups – TOH, environmental groups
November - Students create recycling presentations November - School-wide assembly to kickoff recycling program; plastic and paper recycling begins throughout the school EarlyDecember – Share recycling presentations with other classes December – Meet with administration and green committee to discuss possible formation of extra-curricular Green Team for 09-10 school year (as part of school budget?) December – Create WebQuest for students January - Students complete WebQuest January - Logo Contest January/February - Look into possibility of field trips (recycling facilities) March – contact local businesses for green partnership; conservation contest? April – Earth Day celebration On-going January – June
Investigate other recycling possibilities - batteries, e-waste, obsolete equipment, etc. – for 09-10 school year
Investigate other ways (besides recycling) to be a green school – energy conservation, carpooling, zero-waste lunch, reusable school supplies, ideas for teachers, etc.
How Assessed(see assessment presentation) ·Ask students, teachers, and parents to view and comment on our website. Did they find it helpful? (Possibly using Google Forms) ·Determine if amount of trash has decreased – as discussed with custodial staff ·Examine before and after surveymonkey.com questionnaires. We will analyze the data collected. ·Review students’ work to determine the effectiveness of our “It’s Easy to be Green” collaboration.
Final Proposal
What
Our goal is to partner with teachers, parents, and students to make Lloyd Harbor School a “greener” school. As part of this partnership, we will work closely with the newly-formed Green Committee (a parent group) to implement various programs as part of our green school initiative. The first step in this initiative is to begin recycling plastic bottles and scrap paper school-wide. Future goals include involving students in environmental logo-design and energy conservation contests, activities to fund future initiatives, and partnering with local businesses.
We also plan to develop a website with information and resources for students, parents, and community members to make their homes “greener.” Links from the home page will include information about items that can be recycled and where they can be recycled; ways to reduce and reuse items; suggestions for energy conservation, as well as facts, games and activities to enhance student learning.
We are committed to a sustainable future and to improving the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the community. Through our actions, we hope to inspire others to adopt practices that reduce energy usage and waste in order to create a cleaner, safer place to learn and work. We encourage everyone to take an active role in making the world a better place today—so we can all share a better world tomorrow.
Why
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi
One of the underlying premises of the constructivist theory is that learning be grounded in relevance. Kids benefit tremendously when they see the connections between the work they do in school and their lives outside of school. For example, when kids recycle, they become part of a process larger than themselves. Recycling has a positive impact on the environment, adds jobs to the US economy, and turns used products into new ones. In our proposal, kids will be actively engaged in the development, implementation and assessment of almost every aspect of our green school initiative.
Why work for a greener school?
Resources
Websites:
Go Green Initiative
The Go Green Initiative is a simple, comprehensive program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the nation. Founded in 2002, the Go Green Initiative unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come.
http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/
Town of Huntington Website
This website contains information about the Town of Huntington. It provides a list of contacts and phone numbers for town departments. It also links to a trash pickup schedule and recycling information.
http://town.huntington.ny.us/index.cfm
Lloyd Harbor Recycling Center
Includes pickup schedule and contact numbers
http://www.lloydharbor.org/images/Rout%202%20scheduie%2008.pdf
Greening Schools
Greening Schools is a joint project between the Illinois EPA and the Waste Management Research Center.
http://www.greeningschools.org/resources/view_cat_teacher.cfm?id=155
Our Earth
Our Earth is a non-profit environmental organization based in Baltimore, MD. The purpose of the OurEarth.org website is to raise awareness, educate the public, and ultimately make it easier for everyone to be environmentally responsible. The website enables individuals, organizations, and communities from across the country to share environmental information and ideas which we hope will both aid their efforts and provide the public with a useful resource.
http://www.ourearth.org/recycling.htm
Websites for Students (games and activities):
National Grid
Floe, a virtual polar bear on National Grid’s Web site, can help National Grid customers analyze and measure the environmental effects of their routine daily activities, including eating, drinking, driving and making home heating energy choices. Visitors can interact with Floe or befriend another virtual polar bear and learn how positive environmental acts will help protect the environment.
http://www.nationalgridfloe.com/
Planet Protectors Club for Kids
As a Planet Protector, your mission is to improve the world around you by making less trash. Planet Protectors also help other people learn to reduce, reuse, and recycle. To carry out this mission, check out the fun activities and games. The more you learn about reducing wastes and saving resources, the better you become at carrying out the Planet Protector goals.
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/education/kids/planetprotectors/index.htm
Keep Oceans Clean
Students can select from among five games to learn about the importance of keeping our oceans clean and safe for the plants and animals which live there.
http://keepoceansclean.org/intro/
Books:
Recycle! : a handbook for kids
Recycling
Donald, Rhonda Lucas
Waste disposal
Morgan, Sally
Earth Day-- hooray!
Murphy, Stuart J
Michael Recycle
Ellie Bethel
Our School is Going Green
Author??
Recycling Grass Clippings
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yAE61tnpCUE
Littering is Wrong
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qrEPACrLmA&feature=related
Recycling Grocery bags
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JiiZgM_rRaM
Recycling: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
http://www.brainpop.com/science/ourfragileenvironment/recycling/
Waste Management: Where Does Your Garbage Go
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/wastemanagement/
Magazines:
Kiwi – Growing Families the Natural and Organic Way
May Media Group
EEV Key Elements
A meaningful collaboration…
· represents the Daniel Pink elements of design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning
Symphony is being able to put pieces of information together in new ways to develop creative solutions to problems; being able to see “the big picture” and how separate pieces can come together to create a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Kids will have the opportunity to participate in developing solutions to complex problems and see the impact that their collective actions can have.
Meaning is having a sense of how what you do is related to others, how being part of something larger than yourself is one route to finding a greater purpose in life. As they work with teachers, parents, and other community members, kids will come to appreciate the connections between themselves, others, and the natural world.
· includes children as desired, vital, and contributing partners with others in a learning
community. Kids, parents, and teachers will be equal partners in pursuing common goals. Each constituent group will bring its particular talents and energy to bear on various aspects of the collaboration.
· naturally links people of all ages and backgrounds with cultural and community resources on
Long Island. Our collaboration will open up avenues of communication between kids in school and adults outside of school as kids research and begin to implement the elements of a green school and as they extend their ideas into their homes and the community at large.
· blurs work and play or obligation/responsibility and desire/choice. Kids are already aware of environmental efforts outside of school. Our collaboration offers kids the opportunity to extend their work beyond the classroom. As such, the environmental work they do in school will naturally merge with and give greater meaning to the environmental work they do outside of school. Kids will see their efforts at home, in school and in the community as natural extensions of each other, not as artificial constructs.
· Builds caring, meaning, and self-worth. Kids are empowered when they see that their individual and collective actions can have an impact on the world they live in.
· has components that would change or be dramatically enhanced with powerful tools of
electronic communications and multimedia expressioning being used well. Technology will enable kids to share their ideas with others and educate their peers and the community.
· crosses academic disciplines often blurring the very sense of a particular discipline and
building a wholistic, natural learning experience. Kids’ experiences with the green school project will be embedded in many different curriculum areas - social studies, math, language arts, technology. This integration will result in kids seeing the connections between the various disciplines, rather than viewing them as separate, unrelated entities.
· is energizing and intrinsically motivating for children and adults. Few things are more motivating and empowering for kids than to realize they have a genuine opportunity to make a tangible, positive change in something they feel passionate about.
· represents the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS‐T) in action
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources; model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others.
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources.
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources.
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership Participate in local and global learning communities.
· represents the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS‐S) in action
1. Creativity and Innovation Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
2. Communication and Collaboration Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively.
3. Research and Information Fluency Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
5. Digital Citizenship Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. (www.iste.org)
How
- Create a “green committee” consisting of teachers and parents
- Create a “green team” consisting of students
- Educate students and community on the importance of a green community
- school-wide assemblies- small-group presentations to individual classes
Who
TEAM Members:
· Laura Classi
· Margaret Diehl
· Barbara Field
· Carolyn Matthews
School Faculty and Staff
· Administrators
· Custodians
· Teachers
Students:
· 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders from our classrooms in Lloyd Harbor School (current goal: 2008-2009 school year)
· “Green Team” student volunteers from Lloyd Harbor School (future goal: ongoing, beginning in 2009)
Parents:
· “Green Committee” volunteers from Lloyd Harbor School
Outside Assistance:
· Town of Huntington Recycling Center
· Local environmental groups (still researching)
· Local businesses which are “going green”
· Utility companies – LIPA and National Grid
Technologies
· Create an informational website using Dreamweaver
· Create a wiki or blog for online tips and discussion
· Create surveys for beginning and end of year using surveymonkey.com
· Students create informational presentations geared toward different grade levels (ie. Photostory, PowerPoint, Hyperstudio…)
· Create webquests for different age levels using QuestGarden
· Students will use a variety of technologies to reflect their experiences
When
On-going Sept. through June
- Meeting with administrators and parents
- Develop website for teachers, parents, students
- Contact outside groups – TOH, environmental groups
November - Students create recycling presentationsNovember - School-wide assembly to kickoff recycling program; plastic and paper recycling begins throughout the school
Early December – Share recycling presentations with other classes
December – Meet with administration and green committee to discuss possible formation of extra-curricular Green Team for 09-10 school year (as part of school budget?)
December – Create WebQuest for students
January - Students complete WebQuest
January - Logo Contest
January/February - Look into possibility of field trips (recycling facilities)
March – contact local businesses for green partnership; conservation contest?
April – Earth Day celebration
On-going January – June
How Assessed (see assessment presentation)
· Ask students, teachers, and parents to view and comment on our website. Did they find it helpful? (Possibly using Google Forms)
· Determine if amount of trash has decreased – as discussed with custodial staff
· Examine before and after surveymonkey.com questionnaires. We will analyze the data collected.
· Review students’ work to determine the effectiveness of our “It’s Easy to be Green” collaboration.